


A thousand and one Dreams.

by Yojimbra



Category: Naruto
Genre: AU heavey, Action/Adventure, Adventure & Romance, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, F/M, Mystery, Pirates, Romance, Space Pirates
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-27
Updated: 2017-06-13
Packaged: 2018-11-05 11:41:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 13,041
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11012718
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yojimbra/pseuds/Yojimbra
Summary: Each time Sakura falls asleep she awakens in a new world filled with faceless people that have no voices of their own. She struggles alone to try and find a way out of this bizzare genjutsu until she finds out that Naruto is in here with her.





	1. Chapter 1

  
  


Why didn’t they have faces?

 

Out of all the questions Sakura had, this was the one that always came to the fore. Probably because she saw the evidence of it whenever she was forced to interact with one of the faceless humans. 

 

They didn’t speak either, but somehow she knew what they were saying. She could even converse with them like they were actual people. 

 

If it hadn’t been for those two details this would have been the absolute best genjutsu she had ever been in. 

 

Sakura took a bite of her strawberry and chocolate filled crepe and stared at the weird metallic structure the locals called the Eiffel Tower. Apparently today she was in a city called Paris in a world where chakra didn’t exist and the trains didn’t need rails (they were called cars), but there were still trains with rails. It was a place of nonsense, that was dull and terrifying at the same time. 

 

Yesterday she was someplace called Valhalla. She liked it there; they’d encouraged her to punch things for therapy. And she had needed it. The creatures there were among the most understanding of her plight. They had said it was a vision quest and that it would be finished when she learned something that would change her.

 

Here they just looked at her like she was crazy and told her to see a therapist, or rambled about the meaning of dreams. 

 

She had been stuck in this genjutsu for what seemed to be a week now. Every time she fell asleep she would awaken in a new place with new laws but the same faceless and voiceless people. Her current plan was to take it easy until she found a world that had chakra so that she could escape a genjutsu. 

 

It might be a shitty plan but it was the only one she had at the moment. Well, it was either that or wait for somebody to come save her. Still, it had been a week, so surely somebody would have found her by now and broken the genjutsu. 

 

There were only two reasons she could think of for her still being in here. Either time passed more quickly in the jutsu - much like Itachi’s Tsukuyomi - or they had found her but were unable to break the genjutsu. She hoped it was the former. 

 

“Still, nothing I can really do but wait,” Sakura mumbled into her crepe. If there was one good thing about this whole ordeal it was that she got to eat so many different kinds of food. And in theory, she wouldn’t even gain any weight! 

 

She gave a delightful squeal into the crepe as she bit into a large pocket of chocolate and strawberry. She should memorize how to make these things. It was certainly a lot better than the giant meat haunches they tried to give her in Valhalla. 

 

A small device in her pocket began to vibrate, nearly causing her to drop her crepe as she jumped in surprise. Digging through her odd - yet decidedly cute - outfit Sakura found the offending device and like magic, her fingers knew exactly what to do. 

 

She swiped at the buttonless screen and found that it was some kind of phone-television-thing. Without a thought, she pinched the phone between her shoulder and her ear so that she could continue eating. “You’ve reached Haruno Sakura, what can I do for you?” 

 

The soundless voice that echoed from within the box sounded incredibly angry at her, demanding to know why she wasn’t at the photo shoot. Apparently she was a model or something, which was a pleasant ego boost. At least in one world she was pretty enough to be a model. 

 

Though being a valkyrie was pretty badass too. 

 

Sakura shrugged her free shoulder at no one in particular. “Look, sorry. Something came up so I won’t be able to make it today.” 

 

There was a scream and a huff and apparently, Ino would be getting to do the shoot instead of her. 

 

“Wait, what? Ino! Ino’s here?” Sakura grabbed the phone and began to shout into it. If Ino was here then that meant that maybe, just maybe, Ino was trying to come rescue her - it seemed so natural that Ino would get distracted by being a model. 

 

Whoever was on the other side had hung up.

 

Her fingers danced along the phone's surface and before she knew it she had typed in Ino’s name. A picture of Ino appeared. It was definitely her, from her long blonde hair to her womanly body. Everything about her was Ino, save for the lack of a face. 

 

Sakura stared at the image of her friend for what seemed like ages; it should have been so easy to imagine Ino’s face right where it belonged, but try as she might she couldn’t do it. Something seemed so very off about Ino’s face fitting there, yet it  _ did  _ belong there. Right?

 

What she would have given to hear her friend’s slightly-too-high voice as she whined about something unimportant. With a deep sigh, Sakura put her phone away and resumed eating her crepe. She would have loved to hear anybody’s voice right now. 

 

Sure, the people in this genjutsu talked, but it wasn’t the same as hearing a voice. It made conversations seem shallow. They didn’t lack emotions or nuance - she just missed actually hearing a voice when she talked to somebody. Even the music lacked voices. 

 

Sakura walked through the crowd of people, the majority of her crepe finished with only a few chocolatey bites left. If she was going to take a day off, she might as well indulge in some shopping. 

 

It was at an upper-class clothing boutique that Sakura saw it. Her face. She had seen it in a mirror before, of course, but this was different. Her face was on a poster! She was a model! And a popular one at that! She straightened her shoulders as her ego inflated at the notion. Apparently, there was a world out there where a slender girl with pink hair was considered attractive enough to warrant being a model! 

 

Shame it was just a genjutsu. 

 

She plopped the last bit of her dessert into her mouth and was about to walk into the store to try on the cute outfit she’d seen in the window. But she stopped when she heard it. Shouting. It was a voice not her own. The first one she had heard in a week! 

 

Sakura sprinted towards the heartrendingly familiar sound. It was as though she had heard this voice a thousand times in the past. She felt her heart flutter with hope. But It didn’t make any sense. Why would he be here? Was it even him? 

 

She saw the source of the shouting. A police officer was shoving a man into his/her car near the base of the Eiffel tower. She couldn’t see the man’s head, but she knew the would-be perpetrator. There was only one person that was loud enough for her to hear from such a distance. One person dumb enough to get arrested. 

 

“Naruto,” she whispered to herself, hand clutched tight over her heart. She walked forward, oblivious to the world around her. Her only target was the car. She needed to see a face! It didn’t matter if it was his face! She needed to see it!

 

The police car began to drive and Sakura had to hold her breath. It turned in her direction. The world seemed to slow down as the car approached her. She sucked in her breath as she saw the passenger. 

 

He was downcast, and his eye was already swelling from some unknown trauma. It was Naruto and he had a face! It was his face, his stupid,  _ glorious _ face. The whisker marks were still there on his cheeks. She felt ready to cry.

 

She wasn’t alone! It didn’t matter how or why but Naruto was in here with her! 

 

His eyes snapped to hers. She could recognize those blue eyes anywhere. In the seconds that existed as Naruto sped away his face shifted from confusion to explosive revelation. He forced his face against the glass as though he might squeeze through the pane to reach her.

 

She heard his muffled voice clearly. “Sakura?” 

 

Her feet remained rooted to the sidewalk as the car sped away from her. The driving became erratic as Naruto no doubt began to put up a giant fuss over seeing her. How long had he been in here? Was he trapped just like her? 

 

Was he actually Naruto?

 

“Shit,” Sakura swore when the police car turned around a corner. She immediately gave chase, desperation to hear Naruto’s voice again fuelling her every step. She had to see him, to look at his face again. To hear his voice again! She needed it like she needed food, or air. 

 

The cars honked at her as she ran across a busy road. Her slender legs allowed her to glide over the ground almost like a wraith. The people parted for her in a soundless whisper. Some recognized her, others were concerned, but most were just grumbling about her rudeness. 

 

The car was nowhere in sight, lost among a sea of people and other vehicles. She tried to jump to get a better view but that provided her with nothing but stares from the faceless. Their whispers nearly drowned out her own thoughts. She bit her thumb and whispered to herself. “They’re going to stare anyways.” 

 

She climbed atop a parked car and surveyed the land. All of the stone buildings seemed to blend into each other, and multiple alleyways branched off from the main street like a tangled web. Once again she found herself missing her Konoha, which was so much easier to navigate in so many ways. Largely because as a ninja she could jump from rooftop to rooftop and go straight to her destination. 

 

She spotted something interesting. It was little more than a blue sign pointing down the street near the end of her vision. She could barely make out the characters “Police” right below it. It was worth a shot. 

 

The police station was little more than a hole in the wall that seemed to be built into one of the larger buildings. There were no windows, only a few large garage doors that were closed tight. All in all, it didn’t exactly feel like a police station. 

 

Sakura wrenched opened the door, and a woman past her prime greeted her with what would have been an icy glare if she had a face. She asked with strained politeness if she could help Sakura. 

 

“Have you seen a stupid looking blonde kid get dragged in here recently?” Sakura ran towards the desk and had to use it as her emergency break as she nearly slide on the linoleum floor. She could hear her heart beating in her ears. She needed to see his face again! 

 

The woman went on a long tirade about rude pretty girls and how that was official police business and that. 

 

 

“Sakura!” 

 

Naruto’s muffled shout reverberated outward from beyond a security door behind the woman’s desk. A large bull of man stood with arms crossed in front of the door. She could feel him challenging her to try something. 

 

Had Sakura been exactly as this world saw her she might have been intimidated. Unfortunately for the police officer, Sakura had taken down larger foes than him with a single punch. 

 

Sakura vaulted over the desk and crossed the distance between her and the man in a few quick steps. She was atop him before he could unfold his arms. While her body was weak, her mind and reflexes were still that of a ninja. In a world such as this, she would need only technique to fight her way to Naruto.

 

Tall, large-top-heavy build, weak legs. Sakura swept low guessing that the man often skipped leg day in favor of his arms, which were as thick as tree trunks. Her gambit paid off and the officer began to fall forward. In a whirl of speed, Sakura got behind the man and drove her knee into his back to force him to the ground quicker. 

 

Once down she hit him on both sides of head, just enough to rattle him. She didn’t plan on returning to this world anytime soon. Instinct guided her as she reached into the man’s pocket and pulled out a thick blank card. 

 

A security card of some sort. 

 

She swiped the card through a slot and the door thundered open with a clang that reverberated throughout the hallways. Sakura was through the opening in a heartbeat. Her legs screamed at her like they’d never moved so fast before. 

 

“Naruto!” She shouted like her life depended on it. Her lungs burned with every breath of air, her palms were sweaty and she felt alive. How odd this genjutsu was, to make her feel like this. 

 

An officer stood at the end of the hallways. He reached for a weapon on his hip and told her to freeze. Sakura did not; she slid down low, using the slick floor and the smooth fabric of her pants to glide across the surface beneath the man’s legs. 

 

With a twist, he fell and she stood. Her joints popped in agony, having never moved that way before. 

 

She stared at the crossroads, taking a moment's reprieve to decide her direction. Right or left, left or right, where was Naruto?

 

“Sakura!” 

 

Left! Her shoes squeaked as she went from zero to full speed in a heartbeat. Another officer, this one a female rose to stop her; an elbow to the temple felled her. “Naruto!” 

 

“Sakura!”

 

She was getting close! So close to finding him in the deadliest game of Marco polo she had ever played. She round the corner to find another officer gun pointed at her, he ordered her to stop. She could not. 

 

She needed to see him! To see his face once more! 

 

“Naruto!” Sakura shouted her mantra with renewed vigor. She saw him stand from behind the bars of his cell. It was him! It really was Naruto! She rushed forward. 

 

The guard fired. Sakura tried to dodge but the unusual string the gun launched caught her in the shoulder. Whatever it did seemed to have no effect on her. She was just about to remove the officer when she heard a loud beep come from his weapon.

 

Searing pain coursed through her body from her shoulder. She could see the electricity dance along the wires and into her body. It hurt. But not as badly as when Sasuke had shocked her. With a scream to steady herself, and drawing upon reserves of power she didn’t have, Sakura stepped forward. 

 

Her every muscle was twitching and it was only thanks to her will that she moved forward. Step after agonizing step. 

 

If the officer had a face she was certain it would have been pale with horror. He shouted at her to cease and desist. 

 

“Sakura! Behind you!” Naruto slammed against the metal bars and tried to reach out towards her. When that failed he pulled back and began to rattle the cell with all his might. 

 

Two more sets of commands were impressed upon her, both warning her not to take another step. Yet even as her muscles spasmed she continued forward. This pain was nothing compared to what she had endured in the past. 

 

Their final warning fell on deaf ears. 

 

Sakura felt them first, two more sets of wires snapped into her back. Another beep, and then a third. 

 

Her vision began to blacken at the edges, an enveloping fog of catatonic rest overwhelming her. Her jaw clenched on its own and her body refused to listen to her commands. She remained standing purely through spite as her mind began to fade. 

 

“Sakura!”

 

At least she’d gotten to see him again.

 

XXXX

 

“Naruto!” Sakura shot up from her bed. Immediately the dark room began to light up in a slow manner that reminded her of the early dawn. Her room was a sterile white sprinkled with uniform green lights spaced halfway along the walls. 

 

With a deep breath Sakura calmed herself. She pressed her feet against the cold floor. It was made out of some plastic-like material that provided the perfect amount of traction. She stared at the far wall where a screen blinked impatiently at her. “Another world? So a change happens whenever I lose consciousness and not just when I go to sleep.”

 

Sakura shook her head and stood. Already she felt different. In this world her hair was once again short, cut just above her shoulders, and her body was compact with muscle - a soldier’s body. It felt good to have actual strength and weight behind her movements. 

 

Once again she found it hard to believe that this was a genjutsu. Everything felt so visceral and real; even Sasuke’s genjutsu when he gave her a heart attack hadn’t felt this real. And that genjutsu’s strength was because it sacrificed duration for realism. 

 

This genjutsu was incredibly long and emulated life perfectly. There had to be a reason for it. 

 

She had to find Naruto again. He might not be the smartest person, but he had a connection to Kurama that was something ethereal; there was a chance that that connection could allow them a way back to the real world. 

 

What had happened to Naruto? Was he in this world with her too? Was he still in the last one? It was barely midday when she lost consciousness. How was he even in this genjutsu with her? And why was it only him? 

 

Sakura scratched at her head, not to soothe an itch but to try and shake any spare ideas out. All she could think of was to try and find Naruto and then escape. 

 

And to get another crepe, with cherries instead of strawberries this time. 

 

She walked the two steps to the wall-mounted computer and pressed her finger against the screen. Immediately it sprang to life with blocky letters. 

 

**[ GOOD MORNING CAPTAIN SAKURA. ]**

 

A captain? She could get used to that. 

 

**[ WHAT CAN I DO FOR YOU? ]**

 

Sakura coughed once and leaned forward slightly to make certain that the device heard her. “Computer, locate Naruto Uzumaki.” 

 

**[ DREAD PIRATE NARUTO UZUMAKI: CURRENT LOCATION VEGA SYSTEM. ]**

 

That was good. Naruto was in the world as well. Sakura felt herself breathe out a sigh of relief, hopeful that it was more than coincidence and she would be able to find Naruto in the next world as well. “Computer, how long until we can arrive at the Vega System?”

 

**[ VEGA SYSTEM ETA: 3 DAYS AND 4 HOURS AND 23 MINUTES. 3DAYS AND THREE HOURS AND 23 MINUTES UNTIL CAPTAIN SAKURA HARUNO’S MISSION BEGINS. ]**

 

“What’s my mission?” Sakura asked, although it didn’t really matter. She wouldn’t be here tomorrow, let alone in three days. 

 

**[ MISSION PARAMETERS: KILL DREAD PIRATE NARUTO UZUMAKI. ]**

 

Sakura felt her blood freeze. 

 


	2. Chapter 2

Sakura disliked her most recent world. 

 

For starters, her bed was far too soft - there was no support to it at all. Then there was her alarm clock, an obnoxiously loud blue puffball of a bird that must have been spawned from the pits of hell. 

 

Her room was plain, composed of thick stone walls and a wooden floor and ceiling. And there were clothing and mirrors everywhere, and not a single sign of any modern comforts: no electricity, no running water, no insulation. 

 

She even had a chamber pot! 

 

But that wasn’t the worst part about this place. After all, she had lived under similar conditions more than once. No, that title belonged to the plethora of woodland critters that had taken it upon themselves to dress her and style her hair. 

 

“Ow!” Sakura twitched away from the infernal blue puffball that had just pulled out a strand of her long pink hair. Several squirrels and other small rodents sat braiding her knee length pink hair. Some larger animals, namely a fawn and a pair of raccoons, were busying themselves with putting on what might have been a lovely blue linen dress. 

 

And then there was that damn crown that had been taunting her all morning just begging her to touch it. 

 

She tried to resist the animals but they were rather cute and persistent. At the very least they had faces. Still, her patience was already stretched thin. She needed to get out there and look for Naruto. She had seen him in one world, and she knew he existed in another. He had to be here in this world too. 

 

She could feel it. He had to be somewhere close. 

 

A chomp followed by an intense pain in her hand broke Sakura out from her thoughts. She looked down to the fawn biting her hand hard. 

 

“That’s it!” Sakura roared. She pulled away from the deer and shook off the raccoons from her back. Her action earned a triad of squeaks and chirps from the pests. “I don’t give a shit! I want you gone!” 

 

With a mighty bellow, Sakura flung the first raccoon out the window. It was quickly followed by the second. She had no idea how high up she was, but that was how they’d come in so that was how they were leaving. 

 

Now that her hands were no longer occupied Sakura reached for the decorative sword that rested next to her wardrobe. The fawn cowered in fear of its life in the corner. She grabbed a fistful of her hair, just above her neck, and brought the sword up towards it. 

 

The blade was dull so it took her a few painful moments to saw through her thick hair. Then, at long last, the blade sliced through. She held her hair at arm’s length and marveled at it. She didn’t have anything against long hair, and indeed hers had been breathtakingly beautiful - even in her hands it had a healthy glow to it. The squirrels and - was that a  _ rat? _ \- hung on for dear life within its half-braided tangle. 

 

Still armed with the sword, Sakura walked to the nearest window and dropped the hair. She turned to the fawn and leveled her sword at it. “Leave.” 

 

The deer was quick to jump out of the same window it had come in from. 

 

Before she could take a moment to collect herself that annoying blue puffball flew into her face and began a frenzied chirping directed at her. It was almost like the creature was telling her off. It sounded so high and mighty for such a tiny creature. 

 

Sakura grabbed it out of the air and squeezed it so that it shut up. She saw its eyes bulge out slightly and she was tempted to squeeze it harder, to see what would happen. Even if this was a genjutsu and she was annoyed at the creature Sakura couldn’t bear to actually wound the creature directly. “Listen here, you annoying blue bastard. If you ever so much as chirp again I will find you and have blue bird for breakfast. Got it?” 

 

She released the bird. It bobbed and wavered in the air for a few moments before it silently flew off. 

 

Returning the sword to its resting place, Sakura walked back towards the window. A verdant landscape dominated much of her view, with trees that could rival those found in Konoha in both size and beauty. Purple mountains rose to a jagged horizon that encircled the forest for as far as she could see. 

 

Below her, however, was a sprawling village that seemed to be melding into the forest at points. The houses were mostly made of wood with thatched roofs, with a fair few made of stone or brick and the occasional place had tiles instead of straw. 

 

One of the more impressive buildings was a church that towered over its surroundings. It appeared to be made out of a vast block of alabaster stone that had been worked into its current form. In stark contrast to its white colour, a multitude of stain glassed windows were spaced around its upper reaches. The largest was a perfect circle located at the entrance,  depicting a pink-haired princess holding the hand of a blond knight. 

 

Grander still - in terms of scale, if not in beauty - was the building Sakura found herself in. A dull gray castle, it seemed to defy physics as it stretched up into the heavens. Sakura’s own room resided in a tower that was only supported by several bridges like a fly caught in a spiders web. Several other towers were also linked to the central building, which seemed to rise and fall at random.

 

If someone had told Sakura the original design had come from a man high on psychedelics, who’d then described it to another man high on a  _ different _ psychedelic, and then he’d written it down with his eyes closed, she would have taken them at their word.

 

Cautiously Sakura peered down, expecting to see a multitude of wounded animals that she had carelessly dropped out of her window. Apparently, injuries by falling were rather difficult to obtain in this world, though. A group of animals were angrily walking their way out of the castle grounds. 

 

“Cute little assholes,” Sakura muttered to herself. She turned to inspect an object that had been bothering her for the past hour or so. A dazzling emerald that seemed to shine with a light of its own sat atop a crown. The crown itself was something else entirely, made out of a single piece of carved wood, with several flowers blooming in place of gems. They looked too perfect to be real. But they weren’t just real, they were alive. She had watched them wake up as the sun filtered into her room. 

 

Sakura picked up the crown and inspected it. There was nothing about it that reminded her about chakra , but she could feel a certain energy within the crown. Perhaps this would be enough to break free of the genjutsu? In any event, she had to find Naruto. 

 

She placed the crown on her head and found that it fit her perfectly. It raised so many questions about who she was in this world. Clearly somebody important. She didn’t feel old enough to be a queen, that left her with princess. After all who else wore a crown? Her eyes flashed bitterly to the dull decorative sword. “Guess I’m not a warrior princess.” 

 

She was beginning to loathe each world where she wasn’t at least semi-active. It wasn’t about being strong for the sake of being strong, she just hated being useless. Her current body was a far cry from the battle-hardened form of the previous world. 

 

Sakura shook her head and rubbed her forehead softly. This was getting so weird, thinking about her other selves and what she could be. “Whatever. At least it should be easy to find a blond idiot if I’m a princess.” 

 

A wave of fear overcame Sakura as she stepped out onto the lowest bridge that connected her tower to the main castle. It wasn’t that she was afraid of heights, she’d just had horrible experiences with bridges. The fact that this one didn’t have any safety rails only made her all the more uneasy. 

 

“Sakura!” 

 

It couldn’t be that easy. There was no way it was that easy! Sakura followed the voice down into the courtyard, and sure enough standing next to an oddly plain fountain flailing his arms was her idiot in shining armor. He had on a burnt orange tabard over chainmail and reflective armor. His hair was long and pulled back into a ponytail. He looked every bit the knight.

 

It really was that easy. 

 

But none of that mattered to Sakura in that moment. Her eyes fell to the sharp sword at his side and the shield on his back; she was envious. Why did Naruto always get to be the one fighting? 

 

Sakura shook away her jealousy and returned Naruto’s overeager wave. She was truly glad to find him again and this time nothing would separate them before they had a chance to talk. “Naruto! Wait there, I’ll come to you!” 

 

Easier said than done; the second she ran into the castle she was lost. One hallway led to another and then another doorway into another hallway and another courtyard where the water poured upward into another courtyard where Naruto stood scratching his head. 

 

That idiot! Hadn’t she  _ explicitly _ told him to wait? “Naruto! I said to wait for me, you idiot!” 

 

Her words appeared to reach him and he looked up… or was it down?... at her and waved eagerly. “Oh hi, Sakura! Don’t worry I’ll figure this place out eventually! I know, I’ll ask one of the guards! I’m a hero in this world; they’ll take me to you!” 

 

“No, you idiot! You stay put!” It was more out of principle than anything. She had told him to stay in the courtyard and that she would be the one to come to him, dammit. And they were going to stick to that plan or so help her. 

 

More hallways were followed by yet more hallways that seemed to stretch on forever. They weren’t boring or plain either. There were hallways atop book shelves, through gardens, over the stars themselves. Each one had another dozen doorways that lead to more hallways. 

 

Eventually, she found him again. She stood in a courtyard where he had once been, and he was in front of her room and scratching his head in confusion. “You idiot! Stay there or I’ll break your legs so you can’t move!” 

 

Apparently, the threat gave her voice the extra volume it needed to get through his thick skull. He saluted towards her and stood straight. “Yes ma’am!” 

 

With a huff, Sakura began to retrace her steps. She felt like pulling out her hair at how stupid this castle was! There was a very good reason her room was not part of the castle itself. “Does anything about this place make sense!” she shouted in frustration.

 

She wanted to pull out what was left of her hair. 

 

Then, at long last, she emerged onto the long bridge to her tower. 

 

Naruto rested against her door, grinning like an idiot. He lazily waved a hand her way. “Yo.” 

 

She wanted to scream at him, strangle him, throttle him, hug him. Sakura resumed her death stalk and began to march towards that absolute  _ idiot _ ! “Naruto!” 

 

He shot up quickly and braced against her door. “Sakura, wait! I didn’t hear you the first time I swear!” 

 

Before she could reply, everything shook and the sky cracked with lightning. A terrifying roar came from everywhere and nowhere at once. A vast shadow descended on the land. 

 

Sakura could feel the screams of the numerous faceless people that existed here. They all screamed the same terrifying word. 

 

Dragon.

 

Sakura whirled on her heels to see a scaled beast that rivaled the Kyuubi in size flying towards her with its massive wings outstretched. Its eyes burned with fire and smoke trailed behind it. This creature was destruction incarnate. 

 

It was upon them in a heartbeat. A massive claw descended down onto the bridge, picking her up like she was doll. 

 

“Naruto!” Sakura called out once she was out of her stupor. She barely knew what had transpired. 

 

She saw Naruto leap from the crumbling tower and onto the beast’s hooked tail, his sword shining with a light that filled her with hope. He drove the sword into the dragon’s tail and it cut deep. “Sakura! I’ll save you don’t worry!” 

 

With a flick of its tail, Sakura watched as Naruto was sent flying off in the distance. For a few breathless moments, Sakura could only watch in horror as Naruto began to fall to the ground. What happened if he died in this genjutsu? Would it be like falling asleep? Would she lose her chance of ending this genjutsu? Would it end only for her to find Naruto dead as well? “Naruto!” 

 

The world went silent as Naruto hit the ground hard. She could feel her world begin to shatter, she had seen Naruto die once - back when she had to pump his heart for a minute straight to bring him back - and that had been one too many times already. Then he stood up and began to run after the dragon, as though he hadn’t just fallen from a lethal height. 

 

The animals she had tossed out of the window came to mind and suddenly Sakura felt like an idiot. She could have avoided this whole mess if she had just jumped from her tower to greet Naruto. “Are you fucking kidding me?” 

 

XXXX

 

“Are you fucking kidding me?” 

 

Sakura’s voice was louder than ever when she was angry. Especially when she was angry at herself. For a moment Naruto feared for the dragon’s life. An angry Sakura, no matter her position in life, was not one that to be taken lightly. 

 

Naruto reached for his sword, only to find it missing from his scabbard. “Crap, it’s still in the dragon’s tail.” 

 

He gave a sour look as the dragon flew off towards the mountain. Of course he would lose the only sword capable of cutting through a dragon’s hide inside of a dragon. So much for being Naruto ‘Dragonslayer’ Uzumaki. 

 

A young faceless squire came running up to him. The knights were getting ready, but a few of the rangers had a steed ready for him while more had already ridden off to chase after the dragon. 

 

“Lead the way!” Naruto said with a tight jaw. He had finally found Sakura again after those bastards had tasered her. Now all he had to do was save her from a giant fire-breathing dragon. Seemed simple enough. 

 

It had felt so good to see her face the first time. But the second time was all the sweeter as there was no shock in the discovery. It meant he could feel the full force of his joy upon seeing her again. It was more that he wasn’t alone in here anymore, he was alone in here with Sakura now. 

 

Out of all the people in the world to be trapped in a weird freaky genjutsu with, he was glad it was her. She was his teammate and together they could get out of this and return to Konoha. For some odd reason, that notion didn’t bring him the joy he thought it would. 

 

A large horse with a coat that matched his own blonde hair trotted up next to him, eager and willing to serve. Flanking either side of the horse were hooded men on much smaller horses built more for stamina than strength; he had no idea how he knew that fact. 

 

Then one of the men told him the horse’s name was Caulder and that he had sworn to help the dragonslayer bring the princess home. 

 

“Well then Caulder, it’s an honor to meet you.” Naruto removed his gauntlet and placed his bare hand on top of Caulder’s head. The animals of this realm were something special - they were intelligent in the most peculiar of ways, capable of sending their emotions through to a select few. 

 

Naruto always seemed to be in a minority of some sorts. 

 

Once the contract between rider and steed was complete Naruto swung onto the horse’s saddle and urged the creature to ride forward. 

 

The forest blurred past them, Caulder drawing on its own stores of strength and those of Naruto. Reason dictated that he should save his energy for the fight with the dragon. But his heart screamed that he needed to reach Sakura.

 

He didn’t want to think about what could happen should Sakura die in here. 

 

Was it like dying in her dream? Or would she die in real life? 

 

The sun was low in the sky as they approached the dragon’s lair. Adrenalin pumped through Naruto’s veins by what felt like the gallon. His palms were sweaty and his mouth felt dry. He had never fought a dragon before. Well, he had, but not him-him. It had been the him that lived in this world. 

 

“Okay, just have to go in there, get my sword, kill the dragon and rescue Sakura.” It sounded easy enough, especially compared to some of the insane stuff he used to do on a daily basis. This was going to be easy… probably... hopefully…

 

The ever-silent rangers stood by his side, bows at the ready. One of them offered him a sword for the time being. It didn’t hold a candle to his sword, but it was better than nothing. 

 

Without a word, Naruto began the steep climb to the dragon’s lair.

 

His group froze when he looked up and saw movement from inside the cave, and a dull light shone through. His sword! The dragon was close if they could see it glowing from outside the cave. With his shield up Naruto braced for the worse. 

 

Instead of a dragon, a much more frightening creature emerged from the cave. 

 

The ends of her pink hair were blackened, her dress was little more than a rag now, and she limped on one bloodied leg using his sword as a cane. With a tired smile she paused at the mouth of the cave, her face showing her exhaustion. 

 

As she limped towards him Naruto felt a lump form in his throat. Of course he wouldn’t have to rescue Sakura, how could he forget that fact? It was always her that rescued him, after all. 

 

She slid the sword back into his sheath and tapped him hard on the chest. “Next time you kill the dragon.” 

 

And just like that, she was out like a light. 

 

Naruto caught her and smiled softly. “Right, then. I guess I’ll see you in the next world.” 

 

  
  



	3. Chapter 3

  
  
  


There was such a thing as too much jewelry. However, Sakura had to admit that in this world she had some  _ serious  _ style. It was a fitting costume for a successful pirate captain -- nearly every piece of her clothing had gold or jewels embedded in it. Even her knee-high boots had gold trim on the heels.

 

Her right ear alone had seven emerald studs embedded in it that shone like her own constellation. Several strands of her hair were tied into trinket-covered braids, the longest of which barely fell to her chin. Much of her hair, however, was covered by a red bandana pinned with a golden leaf symbol. 

 

“Just the finishing touches.” Sakura smiled to herself as she put her triangular hat on, a long silver, blue, and pink plume extending from the back. She would have loved to see the bird that it came from; such a creature would be a sight to behold. 

 

She had to suppress a smile as she carefully placed her sword in its rightful place by her side. It was a long thin blade with a silver grip that felt like it weighed nothing. A flintlock pistol with a golden dragon engraved down the side of the muzzle found its home in her bodice. 

 

Numerous other blades and small pistols were hidden seamlessly in her outfit. All were snug enough to not fall out during her acrobatic movements, yet easy to draw on a whim. As though to prove this to herself Sakura brandished a dagger from her belt, spun it around her fingers, and placed it back. 

 

She smiled at herself in the murky mirror; several of her teeth were capped with gold. Well, there had to be  _ something  _ wrong with this world. Still, she had to admit she wore being a pirate well. “Alright. I’m as ready as I’ll ever be, plunging neckline and all.” 

 

With a swagger that  vigorously shook her hips, Sakura walked into the outside world, leaving her quarters, full of knickknacks - mementos of successful ventures - behind. She was eager to try and find Naruto in this world. 

 

The sun stained the sky orange, the day already in its final hours, and stars were visible on the horizon. A blanket of fog clung to the ocean, just  reaching high enough to splash onto the main deck. 

 

Ominous thunderheads rose up like furious mountains, crackling with a malicious life all their own. Lightning streaked across them in violent chains, two angry gods battling for command of the skies. They filled Sakura with a sense of awe like they were more than simple thunderstorms. 

 

Large rocky outcroppings jutted from the ocean, many of which were topped with stubborn scraps of vegetation. Sakura could see birds wheeling and diving around the closest one. 

 

While the scenery was impressive, her ship -  _ The Right Hook _ \- was a beauty in and of itself. Two large crystals rotated in metallic cauldrons that thrummed with power. They were located in the center of the deck where her crew milled about. The front of the ship was a metallic ram’s head that was marred by dents. 

 

One of her faceless crew called out to her. Sakura spun on her heel to look up at the helm of the ship. While she couldn’t hear a voice or see the woman’s face, it was obvious that this was Ino. Nobody else would show so much skin, not Sakura she was one to talk with a neckline that ended just below her breasts. She wanted to know what their destination was for the day.

 

Sakura turned again and looked at one of the larger thunderheads. With a snap of her fingers, she pointed just to the side of it. “My heart tells me adventure awaits in that direction.”

 

Ino protested, of course. Her thoughts were loud and clear: they’d be flying too close to the thunderhead. 

 

“I gave my order Ino, now unleash the sails and let's be off!” There was a chorus of ‘Aye Captain!’ And more whining from Ino. 

 

The crystals thrummed and spun quickly in their basin then came to a sudden stop. A sea-foam green veil of energy appeared above her ship and the world beyond it was distorted. Thicker lines formed hexagons within its perimeter. Then another veil appeared, and another, dozens of the green veils aligning to form massive energy sails that powered her ship. 

 

With an extra skip in her step, Sakura walked up the bow of the ship. She placed a heeled boot at the edge of the railing in a way that felt natural. The fog washed up onto the deck as the ship moved forward. 

 

There was no splashing of water, however. Sakura felt her heartbeat quicken as the ship began to pull away from the fog. Only it wasn’t fog. It was a sea of clouds! They were flying! Her ship flew! She had to resist the urge to squeal in delight. 

 

She turned behind her to see twin large metal and wood engines rising out of the fog. A trail of frozen fire followed behind them, the color of jade. She could hear roaring as they shook the ship with their power. 

 

_ The Right Hook _ banked as Ino spun the wheel of the ship to line it up with Sakura’s destination. Sakura bit her lip, eager anticipation building inside her. She needed to know what her ship could do! “Ino! Full speed ahead!” 

 

She could feel a dozen smiles directed at her and was instructed to hang on to her hat. 

 

Sakura did just that with one hand while she wrapped a rope tight around the other.  _ The Right Hook _ rumbled like building thunder and seemed to hang in the air for a moment. Then in an explosion of speed that rippled through clouds below, it launched forward, up, and away. 

 

The wind rushed past her, speed rattled her bones, and she was filled with pure adrenaline. At the top of its arc  _ The Right Hook _ slowed, before it picked up more and more speed on its descent into the clouds. A maniacal laugh tore itself from Sakura’s throat as the clouds whipped around her in a frenzy. 

 

Part of her knew that this was all a fabrication of a mysterious genjutsu. That part was silenced by the majority of her, which was having the time of its life. Sure, as a shinobi she had experienced this kind of speed before. But there was something about the fact that it was  _ her ship  _ that made everything a thousand times better.

 

A gasp escaped her lips as they exited the cloud layer. The ground below was stained in brilliant swaths of orange and green. Deep canyons ran across the landscape, scars left behind from eons of wear from the elements. The plateaus were numerous and overflowing with life of some form or another. 

 

The most shocking feature was the islands that floated in the sky, like a world on their own. Each one had its own biome, ignoring the weather of the area around it. A snow storm raged no more than a mile away from a blistering desert. 

 

She saw it then; a small flicker off in the distance where she had pointed. It was Naruto, it had to be. She wondered if he had his own ship. It didn’t matter, she supposed, since they’d be using hers. It was definitely better than whichever vessel Naruto Uzumaki was crewed on. 

 

“There!” Sakura pointed ahead to the far of light that pulsed every few seconds. “That’s our destination!”

 

One of her crew informed her that it was an imperial distress signal. If they wanted whatever it was they’d have to be quick before a larger vessel showed up. It only encouraged Sakura -- her  _ Right Hook _ could handle anything. Especially with her in command. 

 

Chunks of ship burned as they slowly fell to the ground below, blue crystals sputtered a dying light that seemed to be the only thing keeping the remaining bulk from falling. The pulsating light came from a large red balloon that was tied to a platform. 

 

It seemed so natural that she would find Naruto shipwrecked in the middle of the sky, dangling from a rope tied around his ankle. Sakura let out a laugh and cupped her hands over her mouth. “Ahoy!” 

 

XXXX

 

Naruto was not having the best day. He had woken up to the ship he was on being torn apart by a thunderstorm, and then barely managed to make it aboard a life balloon only for the only other surviving crewmate to try and kill him. He’d been babbling something about the treasure being his and that Naruto wouldn’t know what to do with it.

 

Which was true. Naruto wasn’t even aware that there  _ was  _ a treasure. 

 

The man had attacked him, first by shooting, then by stabbing, and finally by pushing him off the balloon. The last attempt was half way successful. Naruto would have died had his ankle not been caught by a chain, but the man had gone over with him. Naruto had tried to save him but was only able to grab hold of the sapphire the man kept around his neck. 

 

Which was how Naruto ended up in his current position, with blood leaking out of his arm and rushing to his head in equal proportions. He was barely aware that a ship was approaching him until he heard her voice. 

 

“Ahoy!”

 

Of course Sakura would find him now! This was nearly as bad as him being in his underwear. Still, his heart began to beat faster when he heard her. It was yet another time where she was his angel coming down to save his life. 

 

Her ship banked around and slowed right below him. 

 

He watched as she commanded her crew with an elegant authority. The combination of her outfit and her presence stole his breath away. Feelings he had long thought buried sparked to life again. Sure, he still  _ cared  _ for Sakura, but this was different. 

 

Sakura’s crew pulled the balloon down onto the deck and Naruto finally got his legs free. 

 

“Hey, there Saaaa-” His mouth refused to close. Sakura walked towards him. It wasn’t just any walk. It was The Walk -- it ebbed and flowed, her hips coming and going with the tides. It was a rhapsody that left his mouth dry with desire. 

 

Sakura had always been the best-looking girl in the village. Every piece of jewelry magnified her beauty, drawing him in. Her entire look was both attractive and powerful, but the barest peek he got of her pert breasts, left open by her top, made her easily the sexiest thing he had ever seen.

 

“Naruto,” Sakura’s voice was like honey. She closed the distance and pulled him into a tight hug. It was a lot like the one she gave him after his fight with Nagato -- back then it had meant so much to him, and now he found it meant more. “It’s great to see you again!”

 

One of the women, who looked suspiciously like Ino, demanded to know who he was and how Sakura knew him. Her tone was haughty. 

 

“Oh settle down Ino,” Sakura released him from the hug though she didn’t step back, allowing the closeness to linger for a moment. “We’re just old friends.” 

 

There was a moment of silence from Ino before he could feel her smiling at him. She implied that they were old lovers and that her captain was going to get lucky tonight. 

 

Naruto felt his heart skip a beat and for a few glorious moments, he watched as Sakura’s cheeks matched her hair. Her green eyes darted between him and Ino. He so wanted her to say yes. 

 

“What? No! I’m not sleeping with him!” Sakura took a step back and gave Ino a furious look. 

 

Several of the other girls were quick to offer to spend the night with him instead; apparently, a crew of pirates was the same no matter the gender. Their existence was a distant blip on his radar. 

 

Sakura roared and grabbed Naruto’s hand tight enough to hurt. She dragged him towards the cabin. “Nobody is sleeping with anybody tonight, and that’s final. Now rummage through the cargo while I fix this idiot’s wounds.” 

 

Oh yea, he was still bleeding. 

 

The inside of Sakura’s quarters was an odd cross between an armory, a wardrobe, a bedroom, and a library. Scrolls and maps were stuffed in barrels and chests alongside lavish dresses and more than a few cutlasses. 

 

Sakura’s mattress was a sad lumpy thing that was several years overdue for a replacement. Naruto barely had a moment to consider that he was in Sakura’s bed. At least in some sense.

 

“Right, so what happened?” Sakura flung her hat onto the corner of her bed and ripped Naruto’s sleeve off in one clean action. Her complete focus was on Naruto’s wound, a deep frown on her face. It seemed like she was more bothered by it than he was. 

 

“Oh, I got in a fight with one of the survivors and he said something about not letting me get the treasure of _ Table Cloth, _ or something like that, then tried to kill me.” Naruto tried his breast… er,  _ best _ not to look at Sakura’s cleavage as she knelt in front of him. She had to know what she was doing!

 

Sakura pulled off her bandana, revealing the numerous jewel-entangled braids of her hair. She grabbed a bottle and pulled the cork out with her mouth. The pungent scent of alcohol filled the room in an instant. “Well to be fair if I thought I was going to be stranded with you, I’d think about killing you as well. Almost feel sorry for him.”

 

Naruto winced as Sakura placed the damp cloth against his wound, tending to it carefully. He was amazed by how she always knew what to do. Even now, in a world that had no chakra, where her skills as a medical ninja were all but gone, she still had a plan. “But aren’t we already stranded here?” 

 

“Yea,” Sakura’s agreement was breathed out barely louder than a whisper. Once his wound was clean she secured her bandana around it. “Keep this on, for now, It’ll keep you from losing any more blood.” 

 

Sakura took the bottle and pulled up a stool next to the bed. She stared at the bottle for a few moments. With a deep sigh, she looked at Naruto and her eyes narrowed dangerously. “So you’re trapped in this with me, huh?” 

 

He nodded once before Sakura spoke again. 

 

“How do I know that you’re not a part of this genjutsu to distract me?” Sakura pointed a finger -- and bottle -- at him. Her other hand was balled into a fist. 

 

“You killed a dragon yesterday!” It wasn’t the first thing that came to mind, but it was the first thing that wouldn’t end in Sakura hurting him. 

 

“Not good enough. Give me something that didn’t happen in this dream, something that only we would know!” Sakura gestured wildly with the bottle, her eyes like daggers ready to cut the truth out of him. 

 

Naruto mind’s went blank. There should have been a thousand things he could have told Sakura, they were best friends! But nothing that he dared share with her came to mind. Only truths that he wouldn’t speak. A memory came then, one they promised never to speak about. “We saw Shikamaru leaving the hot springs once, you thought he was Sasuke and I thought he was a girl!” 

 

The tension in the room vanished as Sakura let out a snort that bubbled into a laugh. “I was so excited that it might be Sasuke! The look on your face when Temari appeared and kissed him!”

 

“Me? You looked ready to kill her!” 

 

Sakura wiped away a tear in her eye and sat up straight. “Be that as it may. It’s good to know that you’re really you.” 

 

“Who else would I be?” He gave her a fake pout in mock hurt.

 

His efforts earned him a snort from Sakura. “Anyways, let's get down to business, do you have any contact with Kurama?” 

 

“No.” He hadn’t really thought about it until just now, but Kurama wasn’t there. That should have been the first thing he noticed, but he didn’t feel off without Kurama. “At least, I don’t think so.”

 

Sakura bit her thumb and cursed. “Damn, though I suppose if you could, Kurama would have already broken you out.” 

 

They sat there brooding in silence for far longer than Naruto was comfortable with. It hit him then just how dire their situation was. After his initial confusion Naruto had decided to go with the flow and enjoy himself, but now Sakura was here. Maybe they could figure something out. “Well, now what?” 

 

“We compare notes, where we’ve been and what we’ve done, and try to find something that we could have missed that will get us out of here.” Sakura made to lean back, for a moment forgot she was in a stool and was quick to catch herself before she fell over. 

 

“A way out,” Naruto mumbled to himself. His hand fell to his pocket where he had stashed that sapphire. That guy had said that it was important for something. He quickly retrieved the gem and showed it to Sakura. “The guy that tried to kill me said that this could grant a wish or something.” 

 

Sakura did not look impressed. “And how does it do that?” 

 

Naruto could only shrug. 

  
  



	4. Chapter 4

Naruto cursed his luck. Of course he’d be the one to literally weather the storm and risk being electrocuted or eaten. Or perhaps he’d be electrocuted and eaten by whatever hellish creature made its home in the giant thunderclouds. 

Tendrils of lightning danced along the dark clouds, teeming seething shadows that had a mind of their own. The air crackled, and opposite him there was a massive swirling thunderhead the size of a mountain. It reminded him of his fight with Sasuke. 

He felt silly for being more afraid of a cloud than he had been facing Sasuke, during their final bout. 

Sakura tugged at the rope attached to his flight suit. Her crew just so happened to have looted it recently. Fortunately, it had been just Naruto’s size, despite the fact that it was little more than a pair of wings and numerous leather and rubber pads. The goggles that came with it were cool though. 

“Alright, you’re all set.” Sakura slapped him hard on the back, towards the edge of her ship no less. It was hard to be resentful that she wasn’t the one about to be shocked to death - especially when she gave him a smile. He knew he would have insisted on being the one to do it the moment she touched the suit. 

At least he got to wear some super cool goggles again. He should bring them back, and when people saw the Hokage wearing goggles it would catch on as fashion! Assuming he was able to do whatever it was he was about to do without getting shocked to death. He scratched his cheek and turned towards Sakura, yet refused to meet her gaze. “So, umm, what exactly am I doing again?” 

“Weren’t you paying attention?” Sakura spun on her heel and poked Naruto hard in the chest. 

For a second Naruto felt like it might be safer to simply jump from the ship. He met Sakura’s fierce glare for a moment before he turned to look at the swirling mass of shadows and electricity he would be jumping into. It seemed bigger than before. “No I was, I just, uhh, forgot.” 

He was actually paying attention to Sakura when she talked, just not on what she was saying. 

“Uh-huh.” Sakura gave him a withering look that nearly shook the truth out of him. After a moment she sighed and took a step back. “We read, in one of my books, about the legend of Tekendar.” 

Naruto perked up and snapped his fingers in acknowledgment. “Right! The legend of Table Cloth!” 

A growl from Sakura silenced him. “Anyways, the book talked about how the Thunder Birds’ eggs were all stolen to stop them from reproducing and filling the skies with their thunder clouds. These eggs looked and felt like sapphires.” 

“Oh.” Naruto dug deep into a secure pouch on his hip to pull out the Sapphire he had saved from the man. “This thing is an egg?” 

“Yep, and apparently if you return it to its nest the Thunder Bird will be grateful and lead you to Tekendar, where you’ll be able to make a wish if you prove worthy,” Sakura explained breathlessly. One of the crew mates handed her a bottle that smelled of sweet alcohol. She had to stop herself from drinking it. 

Naruto frowned and pointed towards the dark clouds. “And the nest is in there?” 

“That is the nest,” Sakura gestured with the bottle to try and encircle the whole cloud. “But somewhere in the middle you should find a floating island where you can place the gem. Hopefully, they won’t eat you on the way in.” 

“I can’t believe I’m going to trust my life to a bunch of drunk pirates.” Naruto placed the gem back and took a few deep breaths. He had wind nature chakra, and he’d flown before so diving into a raging thunder cloud shouldn’t be too much of a problem. Plus he was used to being shocked by lightning thanks to Sasuke. 

Sakura crossed her arms and tapped her foot loudly on the wooden deck of The Right Hook. “Nobody here is drunk!” 

Naruto looked up towards the deck where Ino was taking a long sip out of a wine bottle. “Then what’s Ino doing?” 

Before Sakura could shout at her first mate, Ino informed them that there was no way in hell that she was going to fly any closer to a Thunder Bird nest while sober. And that she wished they would just kiss already. 

“It’s not like that you pig!” Sakura stomped both of her feet on the ground and had her hands balled into fists at her sides. 

Despite Sakura’s reaction, Naruto felt his cheeks flush pink. His stomach roiled with a thousand butterflies and he felt a sudden boldness mixed with reluctance, fear, and guilt. Once more he considered the safety of jumping into the mountainous storm cloud. He swallowed hard. “I wouldn’t mind a kiss for luck.” 

Sakura shot him a glare that could kill lesser men. He had forgotten how much he loved that glare of hers. She was scary when she was mad at him, but at the same time incredibly attractive. 

After a moment, that left his armpits sweaty, Sakura dropped her glare and stomped away in a huff. “Just consider yourself lucky I’m not throwing you off!” 

“Wait are we really going to trust some ancient legend we found in a book?” If he was going to risk his life he would need a better reason than ‘a book told him to’. That had never worked out for him in the past! 

Sakura whirled him with such ferocity that her hate shifted on its perch. “Yesterday I fought a dragon, today you’re going to jump off my ship and give a giant bird its egg back! Or do I have to do everything around here?” 

It seemed like a fair trade. Kind of. “Alright fine, let me know when to jump to my death.” 

In far too little time Naruto found himself standing on The Right Hook’s gangplank. The winds of the storm buffeted him and deafened the world around him. He threw one last look at Sakura who stood close to where his lifeline - an incredibly long rope - was anchored. 

She gave him a thumbs up. 

It was going to be easy. All he had to do was extend his arms and not plummet to his death. Should be simple, he’d done stupider things before. Actually, he was fairly certain that not knowing what he was doing was how people described his ninja career. 

He stood, swallowed, blinked, screamed, and ran towards the edge. In three heartbeats he was off the edge, his scream turning into a fierce war cry. For a few tenuous moments his he ascended, then his fear and bravado turned to just fear. 

Each heartbeat felt like an eternity. He was falling towards grey clouds that roiled like an angry ocean, and below that were hard rocks to break his fall. His mind raced as he tried to remember what he was supposed to do. All that came to him was a long list of regrets. 

Not having one last bowl of ramen, not being able to actually become Hokage, not being able to beat Sasuke one more time at something. Not being able to start a family. A thousand flashes of every action he would have done differently flashed through his mind. An entire childhoodof poor decisions and failures.

But it was the most recent things that stung the hardest. For the first time since he had seen Sakura in this weird genjutsu, Naruto thought of Hinata. He couldn't leave Sakura trapped in here. He needed to break free of this genjutsu and see her in the real world. 

His mind went blank. And it was then that he felt it. The pattern of the winds, the way his body reacted to it, and how the flight suit would affect that. The wind was captured beneath the leather underside of his outstretched arms. Leaning to one side he found the paths.

Lifted both by the wind and exhilaration Naruto dove and turned, allowing the wind to carry him on a path of his choosing. Maybe there was something to him having wind nature chakra that made this so easy. 

Though more likely it was dumb luck. 

With the slightest twist, Naruto darted into the black thunderhead. Inside he felt its sheer mass upon him, angry and ready to collapse like a hungering beast. There was no subtle change from grey fluffy clouds into the dark storm clouds, it went from twilight to starless night in an instant. 

Lightning sparked through the clouds coming so close to Naruto that he felt like he might touch it. But the lightning revealed something, he was not alone in the world of darkness. 

A massive creature drifted through the clouds with perfect grace that seemed impossible for its size. It was a formless beast that was darker than the pitch black clouds around it. A shadow of a shadow, he could only see where it was from where it obstructed the lightning. 

Another arc of lightning and Naruto became aware of another one of the creatures mere feet from him. He could barely make out the shape of its head as it moved towards him. Crackling blue electricity formed an eye the size of his head, it stared at him as though to know everything that he ever was and ever will be. 

Realization dawned on Naruto then, this was the domain of the Thunder Birds and in here they were gods. It was by their grace or curiosity alone that he still breathed. He had stood with the biju and had fought against them. But none had commanded the awe of this creature. 

Lightning froze in time like a crack in reality, illuminating his destination; a group of rocky islands that was barely held together by a long dead tree now charred black. 

With a beacon lit for him Naruto glided along the turbulent currents well aware of the Thunder Bird that flew alongside him, just the faintest rumble of distant thunder with each flap of the creatures formless wings alerted him to its vicinity. 

Naruto landed at the base of the tree, it was larger than he thought it, it’s roots dug into and out of the hard earth like a thousand leathery snakes. He took two steps forward and reached for the sapphire. 

The island tilted backward as the bulk of the thunderbird landed on a perch behind him. Just before it could reach the tipping point and Naruto fell into the void a second creature landed and restored balance. Their shapeless forms so much like shadows were illuminated only by the bolt of frozen lightning. 

When he pulled out the sapphire, both creatures opened up their eyes made of lightning. The Island rocked back and forth and Naruto felt a warm summer breeze that often came with a summer thunderstorm blow past him. 

With a cry like thunder, lightning began to arc madly between the two creatures. Sparks flew as bolts clashed between one another; blinding Naruto with their luminosity. A tendril of energy struck the sapphire sending raw electricity into Naruto. 

His teeth chattered like a hailstorm, his arm was led his body in a slow numbing ache. 

Just as his mind was about to go blank he felt thunder without sound blast him and he was sent flying into the void. 

XXXX

Sakura paced the deck of her ship as restless as the storm she before her. The moment Naruto had jumped she felt her chest tighten with worry. It was all she could do to remind herself over and over that this wasn’t real that Naruto and her were already in as much danger as they could be in; being stuck in a complex genjutsu while who know what was happening to their bodies. 

This was a justified risk, they needed to get out of the genjutsu. For the first time, they had some lead to get out of here. Even if it was another construct of this genjutsu she had to follow through it. Especially now that she was here with Naruto, together even if it seemed impossible they would get through this. 

Even if she wasn’t certain she wanted to leave. 

The thought struck her as an odd truth that had drifted into her mind like a leaf on the wind. Despite its subtleties, the thought was quick to wrap around her demanding more and more of her attention. The worst part about the thought was that she somehow knew it was her own and not just another layer added to this genjutsu. 

And it was true; since the war had ended she had felt isolated with no purpose or goal to strive for. She only pressed forward in the first direction somebody gave her out of duty. Despite what her heart wanted. She did only what she must. 

When was the last time she did something she wanted?

More importantly, what did she want?

Thunder and lightning shocked Sakura from her turbulent desires that had long been missing from her mind. 

The mountain of dark clouds before her illuminated with electricity and roared with explosive force. Gusts of wind began to whip in every direction rocking her ship like it was a play thing. Clouds moved on their own volition. 

Sakura swallowed, that feeling she got when Naruto was in danger raged like an angry bear. “Quick! Pull him back something's not right!” 

She didn’t wait for her crew to respond and ran directly towards the rope. With reckless abandon, she pulled up arm fulls of the still slack rope. If Naruto was falling they needed to slow him before he reached a lethal velocity. 

Members of her crew joined in and they pulled up great swaths of rope meters at a time. Then at long last, the rope grew taught. She loosened her grip so that the rope slid with resistance back towards Naruto. “Give it a bit of leave!” 

Inch by inch Sakura tightened her grip on the rope, her palms bled at being used as breaks for Naruto’s decent. Her blood stained the rope. One of her crew who looked like Tenten took her place. 

It was with mild reluctance that Sakura relinquished her command of the rope. She had gotten Naruto through the worse of it, all that remained was to pull him up. 

An eternity seemed to pass as the girls pulled up the rope; even after they attached the rope to a wench it still seemed far too slow for Sakura’s taste. Despite it only being minutes. 

Ino appeared next to her; the woman’s tone was light and playful as she accused Sakura of her and Naruto being more than just friends.

Sakura couldn’t even fight that claim even if she wanted to. She took a drink from the bottle that Ino handed for once not fretting over the contents. It burned going down followed by a quick relief that filled her belly. “You’re right, he’s my teammate.” 

Despite how true those words were they still felt off. 

At long last, they pulled Naruto - sweaty, dazed, but mostly coherent - onto the deck. He stumbled slightly; Sakura was the first to be there to offer her support. She placed his arm over her shoulder ready to bear his weight. “You alright Naruto?” 

A lopsided smile appeared on Naruto’s face. “Hungry, and a little shocked but I’ll get over it.” 

“Would you quit joking you, idiot!” Sakura spun Naruto around and pushed him back onto the deck. Honestly, he was such an idiot at times!“If you’re feeling good enough to joke you can’t be that bad!” 

A boom of thunder distracted Sakura from Naruto’s Idiocy. The cloud behind her spun faster and faster growing smaller with each passing second. All the while lightning arced from it connecting with the white clouds below them. 

Two formless shadows made of storm clouds were born from the twisting cloud with eyes of lightning and wings that flapped with thunder. The pair of thunderbirds flew close to The Right Hook so that the tips of their storming wings crashed against the deck only to reform as though nothing had happened. 

For a few second Sakura feared that they had angered the creature. That fear proved false when a stray bolt of lightning arced towards the ship only to be absorbed and redirected by one of the Thunder Birds. 

“What’s Happening?” Sakura called out to her crew and Naruto. Her voice was muted by howling wind that rocked The Right Hook. Even if they heard her everybody else was just as much at a loss for words. 

A cry like a thousand thunderstorms on the horizon resonated from the storm clouds. A Lightning formed a ball of plasma that burned like the sun itself, around it the cloud gathered to form a head of a bird in scale with The Right Hook. Great wings of clouds began to unfurl and the body of the beast revealed itself. 

Sakura’s eyes widened as realization began to form. The thunderhead wasn’t just a nest for the Thunder Birds. It was a Thunder Bird. She was hard-pressed to recall the last time she was in this much awe of a creature, surely the Kurama would be jealous that he didn’t leave her this speechless. 

Lightning arced and the living storm cloud flapped its wings letting loose a downpour that had the entire crew drenched in the few seconds it lasted. It flew away from them leaving a trail of darkening clouds. 

For a few moments, no one made a sound. Sakura turned to her first mate - water that had pooled on her hat dripped from the shift. “Ino, I want you to follow them.” 

If the faceless version of her friend had any complaints they remained unknown to Sakura. 

XXXX

“So now what?” Naruto asked helplessly as he bounced onto Sakura’s bed like it was his own. It had been made clear that the Thunder Birds were leading them somewhere, that much was certain. It was just a matter of how long. 

Sakura ran her hand through her hair and stopped on one of the numerous jewel encrusted braids. She sunk down into her chair so very tempted to take another drink of the bottle Ino had given her. The burning liquid whispered her name sweetly. 

Could she even get drunk in a genjutsu? 

No that was a stupid question, she could bleed in this world, feel the wind on her face, the rain in her hair, and the emptiness of her stomach. She could get drunk in here, but that didn’t mean she would. “I don’t know, how long do you think you can stay up?” 

Naruto pursed his lips and stared up at the ceiling for a long moment. “I don’t know, I’ve never really tried, but I think the longest I stayed up was when I learned the shadow clone Jutsu, I was fearing for my life most of the time though so I think I was running off of adrenaline.” 

“I stayed up for Forty-Eight hours during the war, probably could have gone on longer until Sasuke knocked me out.” Still, that had been accomplished with a massive cocktail of coffee and energy pills that wreck havoc on her insides for weeks. “I guess we’ll just have to stay awake until we get to Tekendar. 

“Oh that’ll be easy, we can just talk about stuff like we used to!” Those two words stung Sakura, her and Naruto weren’t as close as they used to be, she still cared for him but they were both so busy it was hard to find time outside of missions. 

But that was just an excuse. 

Sakura nodded and gave Naruto a warm smile, “It’s worth a shot, as long as we don’t fall asleep we should be able to stay in this world right?” 

“Yea it sucks trying to find you all the time!” Naruto said with a wide smile that seemed to spark slightly, perhaps there was still a bit of charge left in him from when the Thunder Bird shocked him. 

Sakura rolled her eyes and crossed her arms in front of her chest. “Hey, who found who dangling by his ankle earlier?” 

“And I found you kicking animals out of your tower yesterday!” 

“And then you let me kidnapped by a dragon, Mr. Dragon Slayer!” Sakura gave him a wry smile and crossed her legs at him, her boot bounced off the wood with a thunk. “And I had to save myself! I thought you of all people would be one for saving a damsel in distress!” 

Naruto looked at her like she was full of shit, which only brought a grin to her face. “As I recall you had the situation perfectly in hand, I knew you had it handled. Because if there’s one thing I know about Sakura ‘I Punched a God’ Haruno it’s that she ain’t no damsel in distress, even if she does look good in a dress.” 

“And don’t you forget it.” 

For a long time, they laughed and joked. Sakura found herself missing this, just being alone with Naruto, it reenergized her like a long warm bath after a draining day. 

She blinked, her eyes felt heavy. Naruto hadn’t said anything in awhile. She followed his eyes to a wooden clock that ticked on her wall. The second hand ticked and the clock spun to read Two-Thirty-Four. 

She blinked again. 

XXXX

Sakura shot up from her bed and looked around the room. The lights flashed a dangerous shade of red and an alarm sounded in pattern. She recognized this room from three days ago and her heart sank like a rock. Had she fallen asleep? What about Naruto? She prayed that he was still awake and not yet in this world. 

“No, no, no no, oh please no.” She launched from her bed towards the computer terminal repeating her mantra with each breath. Her felt ready to leap from her chest and that same pit of despair she got when Naruto first left on the Sasuke retrieval mission all those years ago. 

[ URGENT ALERT: DREAD PIRATE NARUTO UZUMAKI’S COMMAND SHIP ON RADAR ALL TROOPS PREPARE FOR BATTLE]

She hoped that Naruto would stay awake in that other world.


End file.
